"Father Who Sent Money at Wedding Then Lost Contact, Demanded Support Payments 10 Years Later"

Father who ran away at 14 and lost contact
Sends child support bill after receiving marriage funds
Expert: "If financially stable, even a small amount of child support is likely to be recognized"

A story has been shared about a man who received a maintenance fee bill from his father, who had cut off contact after running away from home during his childhood and only sent money at the time of his wedding.

On the 16th, YTN Radio’s “Attorney Jo Inseop’s Counseling Center” introduced the story of a 45-year-old man, Mr. A, who recently received a “maintenance fee adjudication claim” from his biological father who is currently battling illness.

A story has been shared about a man who received a maintenance fee bill from his father, who left home when he was young and did not provide financial support, only sending money at the time of his marriage. The photo is not directly related to the article. Pixabay

The father had run away from home when Mr. A was 14 years old, effectively cutting off all contact. From a young age, Mr. A had to earn money by delivering newspapers and rice and working at a gas station. Although he enjoyed drawing, he could not major in art due to his difficult family circumstances. Ultimately, Mr. A gave up his dream and joined a cement company, where he still works today. During that time, his father never contacted him and started a household with his mistress, even having a child.

However, the father could not avoid contacting him when Mr. A got married. Upon hearing the news of Mr. A’s wedding, the father happily gave him tens of millions of won, saying, “Use this to help with your rental deposit.” Financially struggling, Mr. A accepted the money and used it for his wedding expenses.

About ten years later, Mr. A received a “maintenance fee adjudication claim” from his father. He said, “My father is currently hospitalized,” and “He says he broke up with his mistress and is fighting illness alone. I am worried about how to handle the maintenance fee,” seeking advice.

"You cannot unconditionally receive maintenance fees from your children... However, if you received support for the rental deposit and had contact afterward, there is a high possibility that maintenance fees will be recognized."

In response, Attorney Son Eunchae (Shinsegae Law Firm) said, “Adult children can apply for maintenance fee adjustment or file a maintenance fee adjudication claim if they do not provide financial support to their parents. However, parents cannot unconditionally receive maintenance fees from their children.” She added, “Currently, there is no legal basis to restrict the right to claim maintenance fees. Therefore, courts try to consider fairness as much as possible when making rulings. There have been cases where courts examined whether the parent had abused the child in the past or whether the child did not support the parent at all. The trend is gradually shifting toward considering the moral obligation fulfillment of the maintenance rights holder.”

Attorney Son said, “In Mr. A’s case, it will be necessary to look specifically at how much support the father provided after leaving home, how financially distressed he currently is, Mr. A’s income, the usual costs Mr. A incurs to support his family, and whether he has any loans. It seems Mr. A contacted his father at the time of his marriage and received support for the rental deposit, and there was contact afterward as well. If Mr. A is in a financially stable situation, even a small amount of maintenance fee is likely to be recognized,” she offered her opinion.